Servant of Monsters
by Ag-ro-tag
Summary: Old story-drabble. Shiba family is growing, so the oldest son, Kaien, has to find a job, but it's pretty difficult. Luckily, his father finds a vauge advertisment, offering him a position of a servant for a very wealthy family, the Kurosakis. The setting, the salary, the environment are quite appealing, so where's the catch? (mild IchigoxKaien, Masaki is alive!)
1. Chapter 1 - Farewells

_"Servant of Monsters"_

 _Chapter 1 - Farewells_

 _HELP NEEDED!_

 _A welcoming family searches for a reliable, hard-working servant. No special talents needed, everything will be shown in the workplace. Good attitude highly appreciated!_

 _Attractive salary + bonuses. Needed 24/7, accommodation and food provided._

 _Job given immediately._

 _Contact: Kurosaki Mansion, Karakura, tel.:XXXXXXXXXXX_

"Here." A middle-aged man tossed the job advertisement in front of a young boy. With a groan, light-skinned hand grabbed the leaflet. Aquamarine eyes scanned each word carefully, slowly widening at rather short and unclear ad.

"A servant?" He asked. "After attending college and receiving a Master Degree in Sociology – all I can become is a servant?" The man huffed and sat in front of boy, scratching his head in thought.

"You've been looking for a job for over 2 months, Kaien. Nobody needs a sociologist." The man put his hand reassuringly. "I'm really sorry, I tried to ask everybody." Kaien shook his head in disappointment. "Besides, your mom is delivering a baby next month, Kuukaku and Ganjyu still have to finish their school. This job would be perfect – you'd be able to live on your own!"

"On my own?" The younger quirked his brow. "Dad, I'll be living as a servant in somebody's house! That's not 'living on your own'!" He threw away the paper sheet and stood up. Walking in circles, he was intensively thinking about other possibilities. Unfortunately, the village Koifuku, his family's hometown, was really far away from any big cities. Shiba family wasn't too wealthy – they owned a small land, where they grew crops. However, the oldest Shiba couldn't take care of his land on his own and his oldest son, Kaien, was a very bright boy. Mr Shiba didn't want to stop his son's potential. He even found enough funds to send Kaien to college. However, the boy didn't know what he was supposed to study.

Kaien was an open-minded, social person with natural talent to get along with everybody. He was a hard-worker, because each time he visited his family, he grabbed tools and helped his father. Nowadays, everything has been automatized and Mr Shiba didn't need anybody to work physically.

Kaien was also very dedicated to his two young siblings – 14-year-old Kuukaku and 12-year-old Ganjyu. Both of them were adolescents and were dealing with hard world of teenage days. Soon, the Shiba family would be bigger by a new member. A small house with 3 rooms wasn't comfortable for everybody.

"Please, Kaien, just give it a try." Mr Shiba smiled insecurely. The boy sighed. "You can look for another job later, but for now this is the best opportunity." Kaien reached for the abandoned piece of paper. He loved his family and he knew he had been a burden for them over past months. Without further complaints, he walked to the phone and dialed the number.

 _Welcome!_

 _You reached the Kurosaki Mansion home number!  
If you need an immediate medical attention at the Kurosaki's Clinic, press 1.  
If you want to offer new medical supplies, press 2._

 _If you want to discuss the preparations for the Haunted Festival, press 3._

 _If you call for tutoring in swordsmanship, press 4._

 _If you call for tutoring in arts and crafts, press 5._

 _If you want to make an appointment with a psychotherapist, press-_

Kaien's eyes widened. _Just where the hell am I phoning?_ He waited until some more ridiculous options appeared.

…

 _If you apply for a job, press #._

 _Finally..._ Kaien quickly pressed '#' on his phone. To his dismay, another automatic secretary answered.

 _Future employee – congratulations for being the first to answer the leaflet! This is your lucky day!  
Choosing this option means you have made a decision about applying for the seat of a personal servant for the Kurosaki Mansion. By the end of this call you are going to be officially employed. The number you have used is now automatically registered in the data bank of the Kurosaki Family. _

_Please state your name...  
_ During the strange speech, Kaien was completely dumbfounded. If he understood correctly, he was just given the job by hand. _Don't they need to see me first or see my education, my references?_ His brain froze.

 _Please state your name..._

"Shiba Kaien." He answered quickly when the secretary repeated the order. After three beeps, the robotic voice appeared again.

 _Please state your age..._

"Um... 23?" Another beeping.

 _Please state your current location..._

"Village Koifuku, house number 89."

This time the signal was longer. In the end, a strange, happily-tuned melody played in the receiver.

 _All info needed have been received! The Kurosaki Mansion asks you to prepare your personal belongings in time of 30 minutes. The Mansion's representative will drive to the given destination and transport you to your workplace._

 _Thank you for your time and we are looking forward to cooperating with you!_

 _Yours truly – The Kurosakis!_

Beep. Beep. Beep. Beep.

"So, son, how did it go?" Mr Shiba shook Kaien's shoulder, trying to snap him out of trance. The boy shook his head, eyes finally blinking with consciousness.

"Aaah, yeah, I got the job." His father smiled brightly and patted the other's back proudly. "But I have to pack myself. I'm leaving now."

"Now?" The older man was surprised.

"In 30 minutes." The head of Shiba family nodded in understanding and called everybody to help Kaien with his departure. Mrs Shiba furiously prepared lots of sandwiches and canned food. Both younger siblings took out luggage bags and helped their big brother put in his clothes.

25 minutes later, everything was prepared and whole family was sitting in front of the Shiba house.

"Have you got your pyjamas?" Kaien's mom went through his stuff.

"Yeah."

"And hygiene products?"

"All in the white box, ma'."

"Are you taking Bonnie-chan with you, Onii-san?" Kaien's baby brother, Ganjyu, hugged his waist and asked with teary eyes.

"I have her with me, don't worry." Kaien smiled brightly and took out a small plushie of a brown piglet, wrapped in silk red ribbon. Kaien received this gift from his small siblings when he got into the college. Since then, he never parted with the stuffed animal. "Now, Ganjyu, I have something very important to tell you." He knelt in front of the small boy, seriousness written all over his face. "Soon, mommy will bring a new little brother. I want you to guide that little man, be a figure to him and love him just as much as I love you and your sister." He hugged his weeping brother. Kuukaku pouted, feeling left out. "As for you, Kuukaku, stay out of firecrackers, okay?" He smirked evilly, pleased that his sister became angry.

"Why does Ganjyu get all the caring and I get all the lectures!?" She stomped her feet, but Kaien only laughed. He embraced her lovingly.

"You know I have nothing to worry about with you, Kuu-chan." The girl humpfed, but stopped her tough act and embraced her older brother tightly. "Keep an eye on your brothers."

"Aye aye, sir!" She laughed as well and kissed her brother's cheek. After saying all farewells, Mr Shiba noticed a black car driving from the distance and slowly closing to the house. _Here comes my employment..._ The car stopped in front of the family. Out of it came a tall man, wearing black torn jacket. His long, non-shaved face was partially covered by big, orange glasses. The wind blew at man's appearance, messing with long, brown strands of thin hair. Kaien could hear frogs croaking in the distance of his mind. The first impression of the Kurosaki representative... was creepy.

"Thou shall be Shiba Kaien?" Old-fashioned way of speech confused the boy even more. Carefully, Kaien nodded. "Is this thy possession?" The man pointed a Kaien's small, blue bag, loosely hanging on his arm. Kaien packed there some books and magazines, Bonnie, photos, pens and his wallet.

"Um, yeah, also the luggage here..."

"Unnecessary nuisances shall not be accepted into the Mansion."

"Huh?" Kaien blinked in awe. "B-But those are my things! Clothes, food!"

"Thou shall be provided with trivias at the destination." He turned to look at his parents. They were pretty shocked themselves. _What should I do?_ He telepathically sent them a question. Mother shrugged her shoulders. Dad only scratched his head. _Goddammit..._ Kaien turned to the strange man. "Are the preparations complete? Shall thou proceed to the vehicle?"

"I-I guess." Kaien turned to his family for the last time. "I'll see you soon, guys. Take care of my stuff, okay?" Whole family roared their goodbyes as Kaien entered the black car. The man started off. Suddenly, whole view of Koifuku left Kaien's sea eyes. Sighing, he already missed the place. The brown-haired man was driving silently. That made Kaien feel uncomfortable. "Eee..." He tried to begin a conversation. "So... Mr...?" The drivier didn't bat an eye. "E-Excuse me, Mr..."

"Thou be bothered?" The man spoke suddenly. It almost gave the younger male a heart attack.

"I-I mean, I don't know your name."

"Zangetsu. Tensa. Tensa Zangetsu." Each word was spoken with suspicious pauses.

"So, Tensa-san..." Kaien still wanted to talk. "Now that I'm going to live there, can you tell me something about the Kurosaki family?"

"Thou shall be provided with important information at the destination."

"Oh, I see..." Less and less Kaien liked his decision of working with the mysterious family. He took a deep breath and tried something else. "Umm... What about you, Tensa-san? Do you work for the Kurosaki family?"

"Correct." This time the boy received SOME information.

"Oh, what do you do?"

"Thou shall be provided with important information at the destination." Kaien's head dropped in defeat. _No, I'm not going to give up so easily!_ He shook his head and tried for the third time.

"Umm... What responsibilities as a serv-"

"Thou shall be provided with important information at the destination." Zangetsu didn't even let Kaien finish his question. _No... I give up..._ He crossed his arms and looked outside of the window. The picturesque landscapes were passing in front of his eyes. The land was a lot more colorful, with fields of violet heathers in full bloom and distant trees, which were changing their green colors into rich shades of yellow, orange, red and brown. Kaien sighed at the view, mentally praising the wonder of autumn.

* * *

 **Note!**

 **Hi there guys :)**  
 **It's been some time...**  
 **I dunno how many old watchers/readers are in here now, but surely we grew up after this time, eh?**  
 **Reality is pretty cruel, especially when you have everything on your own, but... It may not be that bad ;)**  
 **I sometimes write lots of drabbles myself, though they are pretty short, not really worth posting.**  
 **I have been looking through some of my old stuff and this story has been found!**  
 **It's kind of like 3-4 years old, one of my longer drabbles. It had almost 25 pages, so it should last for about 7 chapters?**  
 **Later we will see if something new will come up... Let's say that this was a really unorthodox concept of story with some Bleach characters.**  
 **Of course, I made Ichigo and Kaien my favourite 3**

 **Tell me if you like it, I'll post all chapters in the meantime.**


	2. Chapter 2 - New home

_"Servant of Monsters"_

 _Chapter 2 - New home_

The ride lasted 30 minutes and soon Kaien noticed high hedge and black gates. Zangetsu took out a small device and pressed the button. The gates were opening. _So this is my new workplace?_ Passing the entrance, Kaien noticed new fields, all covered in blood-red poppies. _Wait... Poppies? It's the middle of October!_ They were passing apple orchards. All trees were beautifully golden. The branches were bent from the quantity of beautiful, juicy-red apples. To Kaien's surprise, he hasn't noticed anything lying on the ground. Not even a single apple was rotting in the yellow grass. _I wonder what kind of chemicals they use to make these apples look so appetizing?_ Soon, the driveway ended and Kaien reached a big, classy mansion built of light-gray bricks. He whistled at the sight. The Kurosaki Family surely was a very rich one. Zangetsu stopped his car and stared at Kaien. Nothing happened for several seconds. The old man was still staring.

"Uh... Should I...?" Kaien pointed at the door. The driver didn't move. "I mean, you didn't say any... Umm... Okay, e-excuse me." He exited the car and soon Zangetsu did the same.

"This way." _Oh my God, is he seriously acting like that?_ Kaien frowned, catching up with the man and following him inside of the mansion.

The interior was even more impressive. Walking on the purely wooden floor, Kaien savored the sight of multiple paintings and various ancient weapons from different countries. Occasionally, he passed by suits of armor from Dark Ages or Edo Era. The endless corridor finally ended and soon they entered the living room. Kaien wowed at the sight. That room was probably as big as his whole house in Koifuku. The walls were covered with filled bookshelves and hanging firearms. An antique scarlet carpet with golden ornaments decorated the space. In the centre, there were two flower-pattern sofas with a matching armchair. Right there was sitting a black-haired man, seemingly in his forties, wearing a white coat, Hawaiian shirt and black trousers.

The old man frowned at what was in front of him – a chess game. Kaien tilted his head. Seemed like the man was playing on his own. Zangetsu approached the man and indicated the boy to do the same. Kaien stood next to Zangetsu and dangerously close to the playing man. To his surprise, neither of them was noticed and so the game went on. _This is awkward..._ Zangetsu hadn't changed his stone features since the moment they met.

The black-haire old man took a white bishop and defeated a black knight. He looked angrily at chessboard and started his musing. Kaien was observing the chessboard as well. After 15 minutes he got really annoyed – the man was still in the dead point. Kaien wondered if he could pace the game up.

"If the black pawn on E3 moves forward to E2, the white queen on D1 will be endangered by it, so the white player must use her in the next turn. He may as well use the white knight against this pawn, but then another black pawn on F3 could easily kill the knight, so the scenario would repeat again. This way, the queen will be trapped between the black bishop on B5 and the black tower on H5, the bishop would be the best option. The white player would have no other chance to save the queen, so he'd be forced to either use his white pawn on E5 or the white king on C5. By using the king – player would lose the pawn and before the white knight would reach the king in three turns – the black tower and the black queen will trap the king. By using the pawn – the player would expose the king. Either way – it's a checkmate for the black player."

The man in white coat straightened his back and looked up at the source of explanation. Kaien smiled sheepishly, but jumped when the player started screaming in terror.

"WHAH! DON'T SNEAK UP ON ME LIKE THAT!" Kaien blinked in confusion. He and Zangetsu were standing next to the guy for almost 20 minutes! "Ahh, you really surprised me!" The bearded old man smiled brightly and stood up. "Though I knew the outcome, good job with the game! I've been actually looking for any way possible for the white player to still win." Kaien frowned.

"Umm... Sorry, I don't think there was any other way. It seems like the white player had poor tactics somewhere in the middle of the game – he shouldn't have moved the white king so close to the black players side."

"Yeah, I tend to make that mistake often." The man laughed and hardly patted the young man's shoulder. Kaien smiled, victoriously hiding any signs of pain from the man's strong pats.

"Kurosaki-sama," Finally, the old man with long, brown hair spoke, drawing everybody's attention. "I present thee the man, who responded positively to the job offering."

"Oh! So you must Shiba Kaien?" The boy nodded and shook hands with the white-coat man. "My name is Kurosaki Isshin. It an honor to greet you as a new member of the Kurosaki family!" _Member of a family?_ Kaien tilted his head. "Here, everybody is treated like a family! We cherish every worker that wants to help us with the responsibilities." Isshin hanged his arm around Kaien's neck and directed out of the living room. Zangetsu silently followed. "You have already met the head of the staff, Tensa Zangetsu. He's the one to make sure everybody has everything they need. He also arranges my and my wife's appointments. He's been here with us since the very beginning. I don't know what we would do without you, Zangetsu!"

"The pleasure to serve thou is mine, Kurosaki-sama." Isshin blushed, giggling like a sweet girl. All men entered another living room, this time filled with trophies and stuffed animals. Kaien cringed at the sight. He was an animal lover and dead animals gave him the creeps. In the middle, there was an enormous sofa and a tea table with a crystal set of dishes.

Sitting on a sofa was a fragile, young-looking woman. Waves of brown hair fell down her back and were reaching her waist. The woman gracefully used needle on a piece of fabric, embroidering a vase with tea roses. Next to her were sitting two girls – the one with short, brown hair was reading a colorful book, while the second, black-headed tomboy, played with two voodoo dolls.

"Ah! The beauty of my life. My gentle rose!" Isshin ran to the woman. She stopped with her fabric. Navy-blue eyes lightened at the sight of guests. The old man knelt in front of her and cupped her hand. Like a knight, he kissed the palm. "My love, have you missed me?" The woman subtly laughed into her hand. Both girls stopped whatever they were doing and were watching the newcomer with curiosity. Kaien smiled warmly at them – they were probably around Ganjyu's age. Isshin finally stopped his flirtations and looked at him. "This is my drop of water in the desert; my moonlight in cloudy night, the right shoe on my right foot." Kaien chuckled at the strange, yet endearing comparisons. "My most precious wife, Masaki. And here are the youngest gems, born from our passionate love – Yuzu," The brown-haired girl kindly bowed. "and Karin", the tomboy bowed as well, though her face showed pure boredom. "Our girls are twins – both 11 years old."

"I am really pleased to meet you." Kaien bowed as well.

"My, you really don't have to be so official. We're not the royals." Masaki laughed. "I hope you're going to enjoy your stay, Shiba-san." Kaien smiled. Mrs Kurosaki seemed a lot more down-to-earth than most of the things he came across so far. "Have you met the boys?" Kaien thought for a moment and shook his head. "Isshin, darling, where are the boys?"

"Well, you know them, my love. Probably out in the garden or locked in their rooms." Isshin scratched his head in thought. Masaki frowned. Whole family was supposed to welcome the new servant in the Main room, but her sons had a bad habit of wandering off.

"Zangetsu, dear, do you know where they might be?"

"I am utterly sorry, milady. I had to transport Shiba-san to the destination." The butler dropped his head. Masaki shook her own.

"Oh well, I suppose you'll meet them a bit later. Anyway, Shiba-san, please take a seat." Masaki moved and patted the free space on the sofa. Thinking it'd be rude to refuse the offer, Kaien sat down. "Zangetsu dear, could you bring us some tea?" The old man in orange glasses bowed and left the room. "So, Shiba-san, my husband and I want to talk about your responsibilities. Firstly, you..." Kaien focused on her words. She thought about what she wanted to say, but then growled in frustration. "Aw, I don't really know, honey." She looked at the husband. "What are Shiba-san's responsibilities?"

"Beats me, my apple in my eye." Isshin shrugged. "The truth is, Shiba-san, that our boys were quite overwhelmed with their own work and so they needed a personal servant. As soon as at least one of them shows up, you'll be filled into details. There are only two things that we, Masaki and I, ask you to do. Firstly – every noon and midnight we want you to bring to the table in the dining room 7 apples from our orchard." Kaien blinked at the odd request. "This is important – exactly 7 apples, freshly picked from trees. You can't pick them earlier than 30 minutes before delivering them at noon and at midnight." Carefully, Kaien nodded. He didn't feel he should ask them for the reason. "The second task for you is the same as everybody else – we want you to actively respond to everyday tasks, help others and represent the Kurosaki Mansion with dignity." The other duty seemed a lot more normal. Kaien nodded. "Brilliant! As for your salary – we'll pay you firstly for the trial. You'll have time to accommodate and get to know everything around. The trial will last only one week and you'll be paid..." His ears almost fell off when he heard the numbers. _Wh-Wh-What!? I'd never be able to make that much money as an accountant for 3 months!_ "After that time, you'll be given a raise of..." Kaien felt dizzy. That was just too good to be true. _There has to be a catch..._ As if they could hear his thoughts, Isshin and Masaki smiled widely. "So, Shiba-san, do you want to ask us anything?"

"U-Um..." He was at the loss of words. Only one question wanted to escape from him – Will he be imprisoned in the basement and lose all his organs later? Because there was no way he could earn that much money for picking apples and looking after some boys. _Boys..._ "Maybe you could tell me something about your sons, Kurosaki Masaki-sama?" The woman smiled warmly.

"My boys are triplets. They are as old as you, Shiba-san, so you should get on pretty well!" She clapped her hands joyfully. She stopped her speech and looked behind the sofa. Her warm smile became even wider. "Oh, there you are!" Kaien turned around and froze. In front of him was standing a tall man, wearing a training suit and holding a wooden sword. He was very handsome, with vibrant orange locks. Strong brown pools roamed around the room, only to finally land and link their gaze with eyes as deep as the sea. The look was really intimidating, but Kaien could bear it. The man scowled and approached the Kurosaki family. "Where have you been, dearie? And where are your brothers? You were supposed to be here 10 minutes ago!" The man ruffled his orange spikes carelessly.


	3. Chapter 3 - Enter the master

_"Servant of Monsters"_

 _Chapter 3 - Enter the master_

"My Kenjutsu classes ended just a moment ago, I tried to walk here as soon as possible. Shiro had an emergency call from his patient, so he's in his office." The boy explained. "As for Kon, I have absolutely no idea. My guess – he's locked inside his room, either working or reading perverted magazines." Mrs Kurosaki sighed.

"Ehh, everyone's as busy as always..." Masaki shook her head. "Anyway, dearie, the boy here is going to be your new servant." Kaien stood up and held his hand in front of him.

"Shiba Kaien. Pleased to meet you." The orange-haired grabbed the hand firmly. _Wow, he's got a really attractive physique..._ The orange boy blinked a few times in confusion. Kaien blinked as well, even more puzzled. In the background, Karin smiled smugly and giggled. _W-What's going on?_

"Kurosaki Ichigo. Likewise." The boy finally introduced himself. "Do you know everything about the orchard and the salary?" Kaien nodded. "Good. Follow me, I'll show you your place."

"Oh, okay." Kaien bowed to the rest of the family and went out of the Main room. Passing some corridors with lots of antiques, he entered a different part of the mansion. This time it was more homey, with cream-white walls and some pastel pictures. "This is my and my brothers' wing. If you go to the left..." Ichigo pointed. "...you'll enter the Clinic area. There you'll find Shiro's psychotherapy office and my Emergency room. To the right..." Kaien's head snapped. "It's a part of daily Clinic. My father is in charge there." The tour was pretty quick, but somehow the black-haired managed to remember about the Clinic part. They reached sliding doors at the end of the corridor. "These are training grounds. When I'm not needed at the Clinic, I stay here." Kaien noted.

They turned to the left, entering a big living room. Two walls were made of glass with a view at the apple orchard. It was surely breathtaking. "It's our living room. Also, this way..." He pointed at glass door. "... You'll immediately go to the orchard to pick up apples. See that shack over there? There you can find everything you need – a ladder, a basket, scissors, whatever is needed for you. You can even climb the tree yourself. But I warn you – you must not be late with the delivery. Not even a second." _What's with the apples, anyway?_ Kaien thought. "The apples at noon and midnight are a respected long tradition in the Kurosaki mansion. Tradition is a major principle here, so I recommend sticking to it." Kaien jumped at response. It almost sounded as if the Kurosaki boy answered his question from his thoughts. Not questioning it any further, he made a mental note – _I have to bring these apples or I'll be fired on the spot..._ They left the room and entered a corridor with 4 different doors. "This is our bedroom area. Shiro lives here." He patted the white door. Reaching the blue one, Kaien heard some strange noises from behind it. It sounded like girl's moan. Ichigo pinched the bridge of his nose. "This is Kon's room. Just ignore the sounds..." Kaien coughed into his hand, holding back a blush. "These doors are mine." His doors were dark-brown. "Finally, you are going to live here." Ichigo took out a silver key and opened the light-brown door. Kaien looked around at his room.

"Wow..." It had a homely touch. Fully furnished, with shelves full of books, a plasma TV hanging on the wall, and a desk with a laptop. On the other side of the room was a small kitchenette, equipped at its finest. There were also two other doors – the first one was leading to a beautiful, pearl-colored bathroom. The second lead to spacious bedroom, with a king-sized bed and an enormous wardrobe.

"This is going to be your new apartment. Our servant, Agata-san, rides every Monday and Friday to the Karakura Centre for shopping. Make sure you control your fridge every day. If you need anything, you have to ask her." Kaien nodded.

"How much should I pay for renting this room?" Ichigo frowned at the question.

"Pay?" He repeated. "Your salary won't be affected with the rent. We provide you with everything you need."

"B-But that's just too much!" Again, the absurdity of the job didn't stop to amaze Kaien. Ichigo smirked.

"Last servant claimed it wasn't enough to make him stay."

"Last servant?" This intrigued Kaien.

"Trust me, you'll see if you fit into this lifestyle after a week." This was the first time someone actually showed Kaien that the work in here might be hard. _No matter what will happen here, I won't let my family down! I'm doing this!_ Ichigo's eyes widened. "Anyway, do you have any experience in fighting?" Kaien thought about the weird question.

"During my college I signed up for Karate Kyoukushin and Naginata-do." Ichigo hummed, impressed by the response. "Though, my skills might be rusty now, I haven't trained anything for over 2 months."

"I'm sure you'll manage some free time and dust off your skills. You can use the training area and if I have some spare time, I can teach you some new techniques." Kaien nodded, though looked suspiciously at the orange-haired boy. _Why would I need to know how to fight?_ Again, Ichigo acted as if he heard these thoughts, because he looked up and stared. … _I think I'm becoming paranoiac..._ "Do you need anything else?" Kaien looked at his bedroom, especially at the wardrobe.

"Yes. Your butler, Tensa-san, didn't let me bring my clothes."

"Hmm, check the wardrobe." As told, he slid the wardrobe's door. Inside, he saw lots of clothes – sweaters, golfs, shirts, jackets, cardigans, trousers, boxers, all kinds of shoes, coats, glassess, hats, bags, etc. Only one thing stood out – everything was black. "Seems like Old man Zangetsu prepared everything." That was just way too strange for Kaien. Incredulously, he looked at Ichigo. "Black is the most formal of colors. Don't worry about the size – I'm sure Old Man got everything right" Being the lover of colorful and bizarre stuff, Kaien dropped his head. "I'll leave you now, so you can change peacefully. Make sure to hide your current clothes in the wooden box over there." He pointed at the small box, hidden right under his bed. "After you're done unpacking, come to my room." Kaien thanked for the instructions and so Ichigo left.

 _This is probably the most random situation I've ever experienced in my life... What a weird mansion..._ Looking through the piles of black, Kaien decided to go with the black, tight turtle-neck shirt and black trousers. He looked at himself through the mirror. Slender body was even thinner than before and black composed well with his fair skin and black spikes. _Heh, I ain't looking half bad!_ After sending a wink to his reflection in the mirror, he took all the stuff from his bag and left them on his new bed. _I'll take care of that later._ Kaien was more interested in his living room. The TV worked perfectly fine and the laptop was so new that he was too afraid to touch and break it. His eyes scanned the books on shelves. "Huh?" He picked a random title. _The guide to the Underworld and back..._ Another book. _Thousand curses..._ A few more. _The Book of Beasts, tome three: Demons of human soul... Fighting against the untouchable.. Abominations underneath the human nature... Hundred ways to salvation... Just what the hell are these?_ Kaien scanned more demagogic books, sorcery guides and incantation instructions... _Did they belong to the former servant? Or someone here has got a strange hobby... Maybe I should ask about those later._ Nevertheless, Kaien got interested in some of the titles. I'd be nice to read something else rather than political magazines or mundane romance novels that his mother looked at the clock. It was 10.40. _I'd better mind the time. Only 50 minutes until I have to bring the apples._ He closed his room with the silver key and knocked on Ichigo's.

"Come in!" He entered the room. It was fairly the same as his own, though instead of enchanted books he noticed lots of weaponry. Ichigo was sitting near the desk, scribbling something down. He also changed his clothes into black T-shirt and trousers. Finishing the note, Ichigo stood up and passed it to Kaien. "Here I wrote down things I need you to do for me every day. Make sure you check everything out. Also, if there's anything new, I'll leave a note on your door."

"And what if something suddenly comes up?" Ichigo smiled at the question and handed a small, black phone.

"Then we'll be in touch. In the address book you'll find all information about every person in this mansion." Kaien nodded. "Ok, I'm supposed to help my mom with her newest sculpture, so I'm leaving you now. You'd better go and introduce yourself to Kon and Shiro, they'll give you their own tasks."

"I understand, Ichigo-sama" Kaien smiled. Ichigo was really well-organized and he felt that he wouldn't have any problems with him.

"Yeah, I really don't like that title." Ichigo chuckled. "Use it only when my parents and Zangetsu are around. When we're here, you can just call me Ichigo, okay?" Kaien nodded, feeling the pressure being lifted a bit. After all, they were the same age and Ichigo disliked the name because it sounded so superior.

"Don't hesitate to call me Kaien, then."


	4. Chapter 4 - Enter the rest

_"Servant of Monsters"_

 _Chapter 4 - Enter the rest_

Both of them exited the room and Ichigo disappeared behind the corner. _Hmm... Maybe I should try to knock on the blue door and draw Kon-sama's attention._ After 3 minutes of smashing, he finally achieved something. Strange moans became quieter. He heard a small cracking near the lock. Behind the door was standing Ichigo's replica – same orange locks, same facial features, but this time they weren't sharpened by an eternal scowl. The boy's face was actually quite lazy, dark rings visible under his dull eyes. Kaien also noticed a difference in body shape – Ichigo's muscles were gracefully hinted (not over-muscular) and Kon was pretty skinny. Both of them were looking at each other, when Kaien finally spoke.

"Hello there, Kurosaki Kon-sama. My name is Shiba Kaien and from today on I'm going to be your personal servant." He held out his hand and smiled warmly. Kon yawned in response, wiping his tired eyes.

"I told mom to make sure the servant was a cute Lolita girl." Kaien blinked, giving up on the handshake and hiding his palm. "How can I ever finish making the "Doki-Doki Heart Race" game, when I'm never inspired!" The orange boy pouted.

"Eee... I'm sorry?" He wasn't sure if he should even apologize to this arrogant attitude, but did it anyway. Kon only waved his hand. "I wanted to ask if you have any daily tasks for me. Ichigo told me to contact you."

"Argh, that moron..." Kon whined. He went back inside of his room. Capturing a small glimpse, Kaien noticed how all the curtains were down, darkening the room entirely. Also, there were many empty boxes of pizza, bags of crisps and bottles of soft drinks. Kon came back to Kaien and handed him his note. "Is it all? Can I come back to work?" Kaien nodded insecurely and so Kon immediately slammed the door in front of his nose. Breathing in and out, Kaien calmed himself down. _It'd be too good if everything went well..._

Kaien looked at the note and entered the living room. To his surprise, somebody was inside, watching a documentary on the TV. It was the third of Kurosaki triplets. The distinctive feature of the third son was his really long hair, reaching to the lower back and captured in a loose ponytail. He wasn't as well-built as Ichigo, but also he didn't have a lazy expression on his face. With glasses on his slender nose, he seemed more focused, intelligent-looking. The third Kurosaki son noticed incoming Kaien and smiled widely.

"My, my, my, M'really lucky to see ya." The boy put down his glasses and stood up. "Or should I say 'Ya're really lucky to see me', since it's not easy to catch me during my workin' hours." Kaien bowed politely. "So ya're my personal assistant?" Kaien smiled.

"That's right." The orange-haired male threw his ponytail back and offered his hand. "Shiba Kaien."

"Kurosaki Shiro. M'the oldest of the three. Pleasure to make yer acquaintance." Kaien shook hands. "I'm the head of Psychology and Psychotherapy part of the Clinic. Sorry I couldn't welcome ya with the rest of the family, but somethin' came up."

"It's not a big deal, really."

"Hmm..." Shiro smiled widely, eyeing Kaien's figure from head to toes. "I can see ya're pretty strong-willed. Maybe ya'll find this job more entertainin' than all our previous servants." _There were more than just one servant?_ Kaien blinked. "I ain't gonna lie to ya – ya picked a tough piece of bread for a job. Don't worry, though – we'll give ya enough time to come around."

"And the earlier servants? They were fired, because...?"

"Oh no, we never fired anyone. All of them quit." Kaien's face paled. Shiro laughed evilly. "But I have got a good feelin' about ya. Then, of course, I always say that to every new servant. We'll see if ya'll be the first to fulfill all the duties. Speakin' of which – here ya go." Shiro handed a small note. "Ichigo was pretty smart with these notes. Do all the things and check them. After ya're done with all chores, you're free to do whatever you want on the mansion's grounds." That statement made Kaien realize something.

"What about if I want to take a day off?" Shiro blinked and smiled.

"Of course, but ya have to let us know earlier. Also one thin' – if ya happen to have more days off, the only thin' that ya MUST do is to come back here before the noon and midnight."

"I have to come back just to pick up the apples?" Shiro nodded. The request was pretty ridiculous and it showed on Kaien's face.

"If ya really care about maintainin' the job, ya'd better get used to... extraordinary conditions." He whispered sinisterly. Confusion welcomed Kaien's face, not like it hadn't done millions of times that day. "Alright, I have n'other patient in 5 minutes, so see ya!" Shiro picked up his notebooks and left the room. Kaien huffed and looked down at three different papers. He decided to go through all the lists carefully:

 _From Ichigo :_

 _\- The most important is the equipment in the Emergency room. Make sure all supplies are full and ready to use, contact me if something is missing (The list of supplies is in the Emergency room);_

 _\- Weapons in the training room need to be sharpened from time to time. If the blade can't easily cut a sheet of paper, then it needs to be brought to our blacksmith, Tessai;_

 _\- Make sure the living room is clean – there might be visitors coming;_

 _\- Take care of documentation of the Dojo trainings;_

 _\- If your phone shows 'Kendo classes', pick it up;_

 _\- If your phone shows 'Emergency', redirect it to me immediately and rush to the Clinic;_

 _\- From 6:00 to 9:00 I want you to help me in the Emergency Clinic;_

Kaien frowned. That was a lot of things to do just for one person. He sighed and looked at the second note:

 _From Kon:_

 _\- Do not disturb me, unless I want you to disturb me;_

 _\- Bring me all letters and magazines from the morning post (around 8:00);_

 _\- Bring every breakfast, lunch, dinner, dessert and supper into my room. I'll get the apples myself;_

 _\- When I'm out, take care of my room. I'll text you when I'm out;_

That Kurosaki boy surely got on Kaien's nerves. He had the lowest possible duties with that note. The last one belonged to Shiro:

 _From Shiro:_

 _\- Prepare me a morning coffee (I start my work around 6:00, just like Ichigo) and leave it in my office;_

 _\- Make sure that the Therapy room is clean and fully equipped;_

 _\- Go to my office every day after my working hours (past 18:00) and arrange all bills and invoices from the day. Go through all patients' files and prepare the tools for the next day;_

 _\- Watch out for any unwanted guests ;)_

Kaien had to re-read the last paragraph. What did Shiro mean about 'unwanted guests'? That didn't sound good. _Despite that, I wonder if any of those guys included my breaks to the bathroom, any time to eat or have some sleep!_ He groaned. He had to wake up in the middle of the night to prepare stupid apples and then he had only around 5 hours more of sleep. _I have no idea about the medicine... Or martial arts...But I have a vague knowledge about psychology._ After the last complaint, Kaien took a few minutes to organize his regular plan. He wondered how he'd be able to bring Kon's correspondence and help Ichigo with the Clinic at the same time. He didn't know the eating hours at the mansion. _I'd better ask somebody from staff._ Also, he had to learn about some vital points of the mansion, like dining room or the blacksmith's. Looking at the time, the clock showed 11:24. _Okay, time to pick some apples..._


	5. Chapter 5 - Monsters

_"Servant of Monsters"_

 _Chapter 5 - Monsters_

After the alarm clock, Kaien collected himself. This time he brought a black jumper – autumn nights tend to be quite chilly outside. In the shack, he looked for a ladder, a basket, scissors and a flashlight. _*Yaaawn* I wish I could sleep a little longer. But no worries, as soon as I'm done with it, I can go back to my oh-so-sinfully-comfortable bed._ Dreaming lifted up his mood as he approached the nearest tree. Again, Kaien had a really hard time detaching fruit, but with a small help of scissors and complicated technique, he eventually collected 7 beautiful big apples.

"Grrr..." The growling appeared from behind his back. _W-Wh-What?_ He turned around and noticed a cat-like figure, only a lot more bigger. It resembled a panther. The creature uncovered two rows of stunning, sharpened, deadly fangs. All the blood from Kaien's face drained.

"Holy shit!" Kaien took a step back, going a bit further into the orchard. "Easy there..." The monster in front of him was terrifying. Even more shocking, the cat grinned dangerously at the servant.

"Such a juicy treat..." _I-IT SPOKE!_ "Mind coming closer, gorgeous boy?" It didn't take him too much time to think. Kaien turned on his heel and set his feet on fire. _HOW THE FUCK I'M GOING TO OUTRUN A FUCKING PANTHER!?_ Hand firmly gripped on the apples. He thought about throwing some of them at the predator, but then he dismissed the thought. That one obviously wanted a treat of flesh and blood. "STOP!" Kaien squeaked at the command. The cat was coming closer.

"DON'T COME!" The flashlight flew from his right hand, hitting the cat-creature right into its nose. A furious roar came from its side. "A-ANYONE! HELP!" His watch started beeping constantly. It was past the midnight. But he didn't care about that. All he wanted was to come out alive from the encounter with the cat. He felt a set of claws grabbing his leg. Falling, Kaien let go of the apples. In the contact with the ground, the fruit immediately became rotten, with black peel and green inside oozing out. The sight was too disgusting for the servant. _WHAT THE FUCK!?_

"ARGH! YOU RUINED IT!" Kaien covered his head. He didn't dare to look above him, where the monster was purely angered. "I've been waiting for them for almost whole week!" _Animals don't talk. Cats don't talk. Panthers don't talk. So panthers are animals! It's probably a dream, a very nasty dream._ "SHUT YOUR MIND, I can't think when you panic like that!" Kaien's mind went blank. Aquamarine eyes looked up. All he saw in front of him were fangs. _I'm done... I'm going to be eaten... This is the end..._ The panther widened his eyes. "Like hell I'm gonna eat you! I cherish my stomach! Though, I don't mind punishing you."

"P-Please, leave me alone..." Something long was lying a little further from his hand. Even though it was dark, Kaien recognized a shape of a rake. Seemed like a gardener left it on the ground rather than in the shack. _I-If I could reach it..._ The monster blinked, but hissed when Kaien grabbed the handle ans swung it in front of its muzzle. Taking this chance, Kaien stood up. His hands confidently held the rake, rotating it in defense. The monster didn't know where he could attack. _And now... RUN AWAY!_ Kaien withdrew and ran into the darkness. Only the moon was giving a dim light, making the whole orchard look scary and grotesque. Blinded with panic, Kaien hadn't noticed that the line of the orchard ended with a steep cliff

"STOP!" The same growl from before showed up, only this time it sounded more like a warning. Kaien turned his head away, but that was a mistake. The missing ground under his feet let the servant fall down. "DAMNIT!"

Not even a small scream could out of his mouth. So, that was his end, there was no way he could survive a fall like that one. He closed his eyes and waited for the final hit... But it never came.

"GOT'CHA!" He felt a firm arm wrapping around his waist and holding him tightly. Surprised, Kaien looked up at what was happening. He wasn't falling anymore and that was thanks to Ichigo, who hooked them with his long claws right into the dirt of the cliff. Kaien's brain started processing. Somehow, Ichigo seemed different. His usually slightly-tanned skin was more pale and gray. Brown eyes changed into golden and were glowing in the dark like LED lights. _No way..._ Kaien tried to reset himself. Ichigo wanted to shift, but then the dirt under his hand collapsed. Both of them fell a few more meters down. Ichigo snarled, showing his teeth in irritation. Something small glimmered from the moonlight. _THIS IS A FANG! IT'S A FUCKING FANG!_ Kaien thought loudly to himself and Ichigo hissed in pain. "Fuck! Could you lower your thoughts down? It really hurts when you panic that loudly." Kaien was on the verge of passing out. "Damn, I can't move up only with one hand. HEY! IS SOMEONE OUT THERE!? I FOUND KAIEN!"

"Nice job, Ichigo! A few seconds later and he'd be just a big puddle of blood." Right from the wall, a transparent person in white came out, levitating next to the boys. Kaien froze. It was a ghost, an authentic, scary, transparent, flying, fucking ghost. And not only that, but the ghost actually had features of the Kurosaki triplets. The only difference was in colors – long hair and skin where snow-white and brown eyes changed into golden, covered in deep-black sclera. "How's it hangin', Kaien-san? We haven't seen ya near the dinner table at midnight." From all three sons, the strange way of speaking was distinctive to the oldest, Shiro. Kaien was only opening and closing his mouth silently, his index finger was pointing either at the ghost or at Ichigo. If he could stand, he knew his legs would be as shaky as hell. Kaien firstly mewled. Then he whined. He called a little louder. He was about to scream so much that even a Tarzan would need to find a new job. Both Kurosaki boys' eyes widened, not liking what was about to come. "Calm down, Kaien. You've got a strong psyche and you're doing really grea-"

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ichigo moved his head away. His face scowled at the volume. Aside from that, he had to held the servant tighter, because the one started to wiggle in panic.

"'You're doing great', my ass! Smooth talk, psycho-freak! What do your patients pay you for!?" Ichigo stated angrily. Kaien tried to wave the ghost away. To his horror, the hand smoothly went through the white body. Shiro cringed at the sensation – he hated when something went through him.

"LET ME GO! LET ME GO! I DON'T WANT TO BE HERE!"

"Kaien-san, we're just about to take ya out of here, but for that I need yo' cooperation." Shiro smiled and flew closer.

"OH NONONONONO, STAY AWAY!" Kaien couldn't do much in the position and Shiro suddenly flew into his body. Thousands small needles of cold went through servant's body. The sensation was odd. Suddenly, his brain couldn't process any movements. "AGH... GGGGHH!" He couldn't say a word. Suddenly, his hands unwrapped themselves from Ichigo's hold. Kaien looked down. He wasn't falling, he was flying. _W-WHAT THE FUCK IS GOING ON!?_

 _ **Chill out, I'll make it as quick as possible.**_

 _FUCK!_ One of his hands grabbed Ichigo's black shirt and gripped it tightly. The orange-haired boy growled, letting go of the cliff. _This can't be happening..._ _ **Oh, it's reality, alright~!**_ His own head was responding. Both Kaien and Ichigo flew up, finally reaching the orchard. With a strong hand, Ichigo was tossed brutally into the ground. _Why is my body... What's happening to me!?_ _ **Nothin's bad happening to ya. I just possessed ya and used ya to get ya out from there. As a spirit, I can't really do much handworkin'.**_ _WHAT THE FUCK IS WRONG WITH MY HEAD!?_ _ **Seems fine to me. I'm speaking to you from the inside.**_ _INSIDE!?_ _ **Yeah, inside of your body! It's me, Shiro!**_ It was almost as if the pressure lifted up. The white ghost left his body quickly. Wobbly legs couldn't stand on their own, the black-haired boy lifelessly fell down. Not being able to move his body or to even think coherently, Kaien could only move his eyes. Right now, both the ghost and the fanged-boy were looking at the servant.

"Will he be okay?" Ichigo finally spoke, concern shown on his face.

"He's experiencing a small kanashibari. I haven't been inside of him too long, so he'll quickly come around." Shiro grinned.

"By quickly, you mean?"

"Around 30 minutes." Shiro waved in front of Kaien. "Oy, blink once if ya say yes, blink twice if it's no, okay?" Even though he was terrified, he carefully blinked once. "Good. Tell me – did something come here?" One blink. "Was it a big, furry, emo bat?" Kaien's eyes widened. Were there more monsters in the orchard? Two blinks. "Was it a fat, pig-tailed mantis-like witch?" Again, two times. "Was it a cat in white armor?" This time, he blinked once. "So, we've got our culprit, Ichigo."

"Dammit! I told Grimmjaw to wait until our new servant gets used to our mansion!" Ichigo rubbed his temple. "It's freaking too soon. I won't be surprised if he'll quit on the spot." The orange-haired boy looked at the paralyzed servant in sadness. It really surprised Kaien. Sighing, the boy picked unmoving body. "I'm really sorry all of that happened to you, Kaien."

"We'll make sure to explain everything to you in the mansion. Our family must be worried now." Shiro nodded and flew beside his brother and the servant.


	6. Chapter 6 - The curse

_"Servant of Monsters"_  
 _Chapter 6 - The curse_

After some time kanashibari passed and Kaien could feel he was regaining control over his body. He had no idea whether he wanted to scream, pass out, run away, beat the crap out of everything or everybody. In front of him was sitting the Kurosaki family, only this time it was different...

Kurosaki Isshin was literally falling apart. His skin had a moldy shine, as if it wasn't provided with blood. Blood was oozing out of multiple scars from his face and his chest. Moreover, his Hawaiian shirt was soaking in blood. Kaien could hear rhythmical beating and saw how the left side of Isshin's chest was rapidly rising. The smell of decay was spreading around the old man.

Kurosaki Masaki had a strange, violet flower growing out of her forehead. Also, her whole body and limbs were wrapped by thorny ramblers, occasionally hurting her delicate skin.

Yuzu and Karin didn't seem to change their appearance. However, flying spoons, dolls, books and cutlery above their heads couldn't go unnoticed. Yuzu from time to time tried to wave something off, but next to her there was nothing. Or rather nobody.

Kon's body was lifelessly lying on the table. Kaien saw enough crime and medicine programs to be certain that one of the Kurosaki triplets was dead. Next to the boy was sitting a stuffed lion plush toy. The lion had an expression of fury all over his face.

Shiro and Ichigo were standing on both sides of Kaien's seat.

"We're truly sorry about the accident in the orchard, Shiba-kun!" Isshin smiled brightly. "Good thing everything went well and you're safely with u-Upphs!" During his speech, his pale-pink tongue flew out of his mouth. Ichigo frowned at his father. He noticed how Kaien was slowly paling.

"When you weren't at midnight, Shiro and I went to look for you. Seeing the ladder near the tree, we never thought you'd disappear. Fortunately, I heard your first cries and ran there."

"Good thing that brother's Vampire skills let him have superhuman abilities!" Yuzu explained. "He can hear things from miles away, see in the dark, run faster than a cheetah!"

"Not to mention his super strength." Karin added.

 _Just what the hell is going on?_ , Kaien thought desperately.

"Anyway..." Isshin finally attached his tongue back. "You're probably asking yourself 'What's going on?'."

"Old man, he just asked that." Ichigo growled. "We all can read his thoughts. Don't act so mysterious." _As if this situation wasn't mysterious enough._ Kaien glared at the orange-haired kid. Hearing the though, Ichigo averted his eyes in embarrassment.

"Shiba-kun, now that you see our other selves, I'd like to tell you the whole story of the Kurosaki's curse!" Isshin coughed in his hand and prepared his vocal chords. He had to be really careful, those might detach too. "You see, my great, great, great, great, great, great grandfather, Kurosaki Ywah, was a noble man and a doctor. He wanted to cure people's bodies and minds, but the village never gave him enough funds to do so. One time, he summoned the Devil himself and asked him to become bright and wealthy enough to help people. The Devil agreed, but in return, he wanted Ywah to become a monstrosity, so that nobody would want to see him. Villagers feared him, refused his help and sent him away to a far away house, in the very back of Karakura. He decided to make this place the best for all suffering people. And so, generations after generations, the Kurosaki Clinic is still intact, but the curse lives as well." Kaien frowned at the story.

"What about the apples then?" Kaien asked. Isshin continued.

"Ywah was very lonely. He wanted to start a family, to pass on his knowledge. The Devil wanted to show some mercy and gave him a small apple seed. The apple from that tree had a power to hide the horrible image for 12 hours, but it only worked when the fruit was eaten either at twelve at day, or twelve at night. After 5 years, the first apple grew and so Ywach finally went to the village, where he found a love of his life. However, the Devil never mentioned the consequences – if the love is consumed, the curse is automatically shared with the lover and he/she becomes the monster itself." Isshin sadly looked down.

"Ywah's wife accepted her fate and told her husband to pick more apple seeds and make an apple orchard. Soon, they were eating apples days and nights, slowly regaining their social image. People were coming from different villages for cure. The Devil didn't like how they managed through past years, so he cursed the apple trees – only human hands could touch the apples and pick them. In order for us, Kurosaki's, to eat them peacefully, we have to rise our prayers and ask God for forgiveness. This way, He lets us eat the apple."

"Shiba-san." Masaki started. "Despite all the help our boys need from you, it's our whole family that needs you. We've been looking for a good person for quite a long time. Most of the time we can't let anyone see us and all we can do is to trick some of our patients to bring us the apples. Now that you know our secret, we're begging you."

"Yes, begging, begging!" Isshin felt on his knees and bowed down, touching his forehead on the ground. "We swear, we mean no harm! Sure, being undead and immune to pain is pretty fun and convincing at times, but deep down inside we are all humans and want to live a normal human life!" Kaien looked around. Everyone's expression fell down. After hearing the story, however unbelievable it was, Kaien felt sorry for the family.

"Supposedly..." He spoke carefully. Everyone paid their attention at the human servant. "Supposedly, I'd say 'no'. What would happen to me then?" The lion plush toy got enraged. He jumped on Kaien's and started ranting.

"NO!? OF COURSE WE'LL FUCKING KILL YOU! DO YOU THINK I LIKE BEING IMPRISONED IN THIS LAME BOD-UGH!"

"Kon..." Ichigo quickly grabbed the toy, evil aura wrapping around him. The toy hadn't had time to respond, as it was quickly sent flying. Kaien shrank on his chair in fear. "I swear, one day I'm going to rip out his plush filling and scatter it around the world..."

"Forgive Kon, he really takes his change pretty bad." Shiro looked at Kaien. "From us all, he got his soul trapped inside of a candy. He can regain control of everythin', where the candy is put. Because we don't have any dead bodies... erm..." He noticed Kaien's changing into scared look. "I mean, any 'containers'." That explanation was even worse. "We put Kon into the stuffed lion. As soon as we inject some apple sauce into his blood at noon, his soul will come back."

"About saying 'no'." Ichigo interrupted, getting to the point. "If you wish to leave our family, we have no right to stop you. However, before doing that, Shiro will have to wipe out your memory."

"I-I won't remember anything!?" He was terrified by the idea.

"Not from the moment ya were attacked in the orchard." Shiro spoke. "As a replacement, I'll put some fake memories. Ya'll be wishing to quit on your own and then we'll never see each other again." Kaien nodded. "Have some time to think it over. I'll put a Thought Helmet over ya, so ya'll have a piece of mind for a moment." Shiro put his hand above the servant's head. Kaien inhaled deeply and closed his eyes.

 _Maybe I'm just sleeping. I'm going to wake up, go to the orchard normally and..._ He frowned. _Who am I kidding... All of this is real. The head of the family is a freaking zombie, milady is a genetically-modified plant, girls are creepy psychics. Finally - my main employers are a vampire, a ghost and a lion toy... Should I really trust them? What if this whole Devil's deal is made up? They wouldn't wipe out my memory, but kill me! Vampires drink human blood, right? And zombies eat brains, right!? They'd use my bones to fertilize grounds and... and..._ His horrified features softened. _They seem so kind and nice. And I really need this job, my family is counting on me... I'm doing it for Ganjyu and Kuukaku... If I really go home tomorrow, ranting about the bad work... I mean, that wouldn't look like me..._ Kaien opened his eyes and looked around. Isshin-zombie whispered something to concerned Masaki-plant. Yuzu and Karin were talking to the space in front of them. Shiro was still concentrating on blocking the thoughts. Only two golden orbs were observing him. Ichigo's and Kaien's eyes met. The orange-haired boy didn't say a thing, but his expression said all. He really wished the servant wouldn't abandon them. Kaien scowled, his features no longer hesitating.

"I'll stay." Everyone snapped out of their actions. Isshin's face brightened up.

"R-R-REALLY!?" He beamed with joy. Over-excitement caused his jaw to drop. Literally drop, but Masaki wast fast enough to catch it mid-air.

"Yes." Kaien stood up. "I think I understand what's going on... I can't believe I have just said that..." Kurosaki parents and girls roared in joy "BUT!" He tried to calm everybody down. "If I see that all of this is just a crap, I'll be flying out from here like a jet. Do you get it?"

"Of course, of course!" Isshin jumped at the servant, giving him a crushing hug. Kaien had to hold back nausea, it's not like he's used to being embraced by animated corpse. "You don't even know how much do we appreciate your decision! This is the first time someone wanted to accept our family's dark secret! Masaki, my love! Your husband bursts with joy, waaaaaaah!" The old man covered his eyes, fighting big waterfalls of tears. This was a strange, crazy, extraordinary family. Nonetheless, Kaien smiled. _Deep down inside, we are all humans and want to live a normal human life!_ The words rang inside of his head. _I'll try to help them as mush as possible._

 _ **Such a nice ending, eh~?**_ Shiro smirked, sending the telepathy message right into Kaien's head. Aquamarine eyes opened in confusion. " _ **I knew ya had something in ya, Kaien-san.**_ Kaien smirked back. He still didn't know if he made a right decision or not, but he felt pretty good at the moment. "Okay now, Ichi. I think you should look for Kon. Seeing your power you put in that throw, he's probably around 4km away."


	7. Chapter 7 - Invitation

"Servant of Monsters"  
Chapter 7 - Invitation

Kaien learned that becoming monsters meant a sleepless night for the family, so they told him to go to his bed and join them on early breakfast at 5 a.m. No matter how much he wanted to sleep over today's impressions, he didn't feel tired at all. Unlocking the door, he went inside of his room. To his surprise, a shadowy figure was sitting on the window. On first impulse, he grabbed the nearest thing (it was a small, white vase with daffodils) and threw it at the shadow.

"Wait!" Before the servant could find another thing (he aimed for the largest book on his shelves), the guest lit a small lamp, revealing Ichigo. "It's just me!"

"What the hell are you doing in my window!?" Ignoring all the formal attitude, Kaien shouted in fright. His heart would soon stop working from all surprises he experienced. Ichigo frowned, still sitting near the window.

"I just wanted to talk. I know your world and view of it is shattered into pieces, but I want to clarify these things, since you're going to be here for a little longer. Firstly, could you invite me into your room? Vampires have this annoying inconvenience... We can't enter anybody's place unless we're clearly allowed to..." Kaien eyed him suspiciously and Ichigo noticed it. "What?"

"You're a vampire."

"...So?"

"You feed on blood."

"...Yes?"

"..." _If I let him inside, he might suck my blood out._ Kaien thought nervously. Ichigo's vein popped out.

"...I'm not here to suck your blood out." Kaien's eyes got bigger. He grabbed his head, as if he was trying to hold his thoughts inside.

"Don't read my mind!"

"It's not like I can shut it down. I hear everyone's mind just as clearly as if they were speaking it out." Ichigo sighed. "Look, could you please let me in? I promise on my family's fortune that I won't attempt to bite you." Kaien didn't feel like trusting the boy, but he sighed. He invited Ichigo over. The orange-haired quickly sat on the sofa. Kaien kept the distance and decided to stand near heavy books (he thought they might get useful if the vampire didn't keep his promise).

"So..." The servant spoke carefully. "...What is it that you wanted to talk about?" Ichigo looked at him and then through the window.

"I... I wanted to thank you." That was unusual – on pale face of the vampire a small tint of blush appeared. "I was wondering why you decided to stay." Kaien scratched his head, collecting his thoughts.

"I'm still questioning myself about that. But... After your parents were begging me to stay, describing your family history like that, I..." Curiosity overwhelmed Ichigo. "I felt really bad for you... Whether you were lying or not, I also have another motivation to continue this job – my family. And my family knows that I'm no quitter." Ichigo hummed in understanding.

"So, you're doing it for the family?" Kaien nodded.

"You know, my new brother is going to be born next month. This year, our fields were destroyed because of this summer's drought, so we didn't earn too much. Also, most of family savings were taken to pay for my college. I'm thankful for them, so I don't want to let them down."

"So you don't consider quitting an option?" Ichigo asked.

"Yes, I don't." The answer was strong. Even in his human form, Ichigo sensed a really strong will inside of that man and now he had a vital proof. Unusual for him, Ichigo smiled widely, showing his pure white teeth. Kaien awkwardly smiled back. "Could you please don't do that? I'm still not used to your vampire fangs." Ichigo stopped smiling immediately, coughing in his hand. "Hmm... Ichigo, can I ask you something?" The other nodded, waiting for the question. "Umm... What about these things that come up in the orchard at night? Shiro mentioned something about giant bats or mantis-witches...?"

"Those are other people, affected by the curse. The one you have met today is our far-away cousin, Grimmjaw Jagerjaques. He's a were-cat and he's been like that for over a week. We told him that we firstly need to tell you about all our mess, but the idiot was just too impatient." Kaien sweat-dropped. He wondered if he would have had a different reaction if the family had decided to explain everything slowly. Hell, we wasn't sure if he'd even apply for a servant position of a family, that got cursed by the Devil.

"And those... "people"... intend to pay me a visit next time? 'Cause I'd really like to prepare myself for that."

"U-Um...Sometimes they come, sometimes they don't." Ichigo scratched his head. The blush from before came up again. "I-I thought about that. If it's okay with you, I can go to the orchard with you at midnight. This way you wouldn't need to worry about any problems." Kaien's eyes got wider at the offer.

"You would really do that?" Ichigo nodded. "Um... I mean... That's really thoughtful of you, thanks!" This time Kaien smiled widely. Small trust was slowly forming inside of him. Maybe he wouldn't die that easily.

"N-No problem." Aquamarine orbs observed changing expression on Ichigo's face. For some reason, the Kurosaki vampire didn't act like those described in books or shown in TV. _He's actually pretty cu-!_ Before he could think of that, Kaien shook off his thoughts. Ichigo quirked a brow in confusion. He heard the beginning of thought, but the servant stopped it halfway. Kaien blushed in embarrassment. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not!" Kaien yelled too nervously to his own liking. "I've just realized I have absolutely no freedom of thought near you! And I really don't like restraining my thinking!" Ichigo blinked. After a while, a solution came up.

"We can ask Kon to invent something, like a mobile Thought Helmet for you. He's an annoying idiot and a lazy bum, but when it comes to creating something, he really knows his stuff."

"Yeah, that would be good!" Kaien huffed in relief. The only way to keep his mind blank was to either throw the vampire away from his room or talk some more. Kaien decided to take the opportunity and ask another question. "So, you DO drink blood, right?" Ichigo wasn't prepared for the change of subject.

"Um, yes, I do."

"And how much blood do you need each day?" Ichigo put on a sour face. He couldn't understand why the man was so interested in the blood topic.

"Minimum 1 liter per day." The amount shocked Kaien. _H-How many people does he have to dri-_ "No, I don't drink blood right from a person." Ichigo interrupted his thought, annoyed by servant's hasty conclusions. "Our Clinic orders bags of blood from Karakura's local Blood Bank. Each week we always order 7 liters extra, so I wouldn't have to starve. Though believe me, a really cold, old blood is pretty disgusting."

"Do tell..." He hadn't found an appropriate comment. Ichigo sighed and stood up.

"Well, I don't really need to sleep, but you do. Since our family won't be able to transform till midday, you're gonna have a lot of work in the morning. Right after the breakfast, be prepared to assist Shiro." Kaien frowned.

"And what about you?"

"The only visible change I have is pale skin and brighter eyes - I can always blame my appearance on anemia and wear sunglasses. With that, nothing can stop me from treating everyone in the Emergency room." He smirked. "Shiro, on the other hand, can't find any good excuse for looking like a transparent, levitating snowman with eyes of a demon." He had a point, Kaien admitted that. But inside of him, he had a turmoil of feelings and he knew it wouldn't be easy for him to go to sleep. Ichigo was good at reading his face, because he moved closer to the servant. "Do you need some help with your sleep?" Kaien quirked his brow, both at the question and at the sudden closeness. The distance between them was very small. Self-awareness wasn't helping him much, but he tried his best to hold back blushing.

"You surely don't help by being this close..." He murmured under his nose. Inwardly, Ichigo chuckled.

"Look into my eyes."

"What?"

"Just do it." Kaien hesitated, but eventually did as he was told. In front of him, golden orbs were glowing, softly spreading their light and covering Kaien's vision. Waves of warmth were running through his body, finally reaching his head and causing a pleasurable dizziness. Sea eyes suddenly felt so tired and so heavy. Eyelids were fighting really hard, but this mysterious power of vampire's gaze took away all his strength. He completely gave up. As soon as aquamarine orbs were finally hidden behing eyelids, Kaien's body became wobbly. If it wasn't for Ichigo's sharp reaction and his quick grip on the man's shoulder, he would certainly fall and hit the ground. Ichigo lifted sleeping Kaien and carried him to the bed. While doing so, he couldn't resist the young man's looks and almost crashed into the wall while staring at the gorgeous face. _**W-What the ...**_ He finally put the sleeping man down on the king-sized bed. Before exiting the room, he set the alarm clock at 4:30, a little before the breakfast. With a last glance, Ichigo disappeared behind the door and Kaien peacefully reached his own dreamworld.


	8. Chapter 8 - The next day

_"Servant of Monsters"  
Chapter 8 - The next day_

 _HOLY SHIT, IT WAS REALLY CREEPY!_ It was Kaien's first thought right after waking up and recalling the last night's conversation with bright orange-haired employer, Kurosaki Ichigo. Still not trusting, he ran in front of the bathroom's mirror and looked for any visible bites. Not counting three itchy bumps, clearly caused by mosquitoes, he hadn't found anything out of the ordinary. Sighing in relief, he brushed his teeth, washed his face, and combed his hair, though they were naturally forming black spikes. During his time in the bathroom, he thought over Ichigo's strange power to lure somebody into sleep. The sensation was really pleasant, never in his life has he slept that well. At the same time, it frightened him. _Eh..._ Reflection looked back at him, its face showing endless confusion and nervousness. _I never wanted to have an ordinary life... But this is just waaaay far away from what I have imagined..._ Comforting himself, he picked from his wardrobe black trousers, black shirt and, obviously, black jumper. His hand stopped near the doorknob. _...Okay, I can do this!_ After the encouragement, he left his room and walked slowly to the dinning room.

"Oh, Shiba-kun! Good morning!" He finally entered the room, filled with various porcelain dishes and some strange still-life paintings hanging on the wall, and joined the strange family near the rectangular mahogany table. The breakfast has already been served, but no food has been touched yet. Kaien looked at everybody. The old man zombie-Isshin waved at him joyfully, not minding a small stream of blood coming out of his wrist stitches. The young man waved back, sending an insecure smile. "Please, please, sit down! We were waiting for you!"

The head of the family was sitting between his wife, who was now growing a fistful of camomiles and preparing a cup of boiling water, and the creepy Old Man Zangetsu, who for a second ignored the newspaper and bowed politely at the newcomer.

Kaien found an empty seat between the vampire-Ichigo and ghost-Shiro. Plushie-Kon was standing on the table and looking at his magazine. A small dark cloud was flying above his head as he tried not to look at the servant.

"Alright, everybody! Let us thank our cooks for this nice feast and wish each other a pleasant day! Also..." Isshin grabbed the glass of orange juice. "I want to officially welcome you, Shiba Kaien. You may be an assistant of my bright boys, but we'll make sure you'll be feeling like a part of our family! Cheers!" Masaki and Ichigo grabbed their glasses and rose them in a small toast. Shiro looked at Kaien and smiled. Kon was still ignoring his servant.

"Where are Yuzu-sama and Karin-sama?" Kaien grabbed few pancackes and reached for the pot of tea. Everything in front of his sea eyes was sparking and appetizing. The sight forced his mouth to drool.

"It's quite an early hour for them. They're still too young to turn into creatures like us, so they can sleep normally." Ichigo explained, reaching for a small silver package. He took out a needle with a plastic tube and stuck it into the back. Using it like a straw, Ichigo sucked on the tube. Dark-red liquid poured out from the packet, right into the vampire's mouth.

"I-Is that...!?" Kaien looked at the liquid with horrified expression. All the hunger he felt before changed immediately into strong nausea. Plant-Masaki frowned at her son.

"Ichigo!" She scolded the orange-haired boy. He stopped drinking and frowned.

"What? I have to eat now!" He whined. _I don't feel like eating, anymore... THANKS TO YOU._ Kaien angrily thought at the vampire. Unfazed, Ichigo came back to his bag of blood and slurped loudly, making sure everyone at the table hear him.

 _ **Instead of whining, just eat the damn breakfast.**_ Ichigo thought back. The rude reply amazed Kaien, his face deadpanned.

 _It'd be easier if you weren't slurping blood right next to my plate._

 _ **I can slurp my blood anywhere I want, this is my house.**_

 _I'm sorry, it might be normal for you, but I don't feel comfortable when someone's drinking blood while I try to eat real food!_

 _ **Well, excuse ME that all the delicacies in front of me are practically useless for my body and I'm living on a fucking shit bag of someone's erythrocytes!**_ , Ichigo slammed his hand on the table, abruptly standing up and storming out of the dinning room. Whole family were sitting in silence while witnessing the thought-quarrel. It took a few moments for Kaien to snap out of his shock. Shame came to him as he realized that it wasn't his place to criticize his orange-haired employer.

"Don't worry, his anger will pass quickly." Shiro spoke, using his ghost abilities to turn the newspaper. "Ichigo tends to be really touchy when he drinks blood." The taste of blood was disgusting, as Ichigo described to him last night. "Though, ya know, next time be more considerate of his state."

"My apologies, I shouldn't have acted like that." Kaien dropped his head in front of the Kurosaki parents.

"It's not all your fault, Shiba-san." Masaki smiled warmly, reaching for her morning tea. "Ichigo should have also think about your reaction. You're still freshly shocked from the news. Too bad for him, he's the only one that can't enjoy food like normal people."

"Do tell, Ma, Ichigo can actually taste anythin'. M'a flyin' ectoplasm with just a shadow of non-workin' digestive system. And Kon here has nothin' inside, but cotton."

"Hey!" Kon protested. "I still have my uncanny charm and sharp mind!" Shiro rolled his black-golden eyes.

 _Now I feel like a real fucking asshole..._ Kaien blushed in embarrassment, when both Shiro and Kon gave him a surprised look after his thoughts. "I-I'm sorry!" Realizing that also the older Kurosakis can hear everything as well, he felt even worse. "I really didn't mean to curse... in my thoughts..."

"Reminds me – Ichigo mentioned ya wanted somethin' that'd block us from hearin' yer mind." Shiro spoke and turned to the plushie lion. "Kon, ya think ya can work yer magic?" The toy scratched his fluffy ear.

"I can make a necklace with some of your power used in the Thought Helmet. That should do the trick. But as long as I have soft, miniature paws, I can't really do anything." Kon explained, facing to the servant in an imaginary spotlight. "Be grateful to experience Kon-sama's endless generosity!" Kaien wasn't sure if he felt all that grateful, but thanked anyway. "I'll start working on it as soon as I return to normal."

"Nice. Alrighty, Kaien-san, ya're goin' with me to the Clinic. We're checkin' all patients' records and ya need to practice yer psychotherapist image." Suspicious glimmer inside black-golden eyes lit an anxiety fire inside Kaien's stomach.

"...My psychotherapist image?"

"M'havin' my first patient at 7 o'clock. Tody I ain't feelin' well, so all guys were informed that Doc Shiba will be seein' them."

"...Say what?"


	9. Chapter 9 - Apology

_"Servant of Monsters"_

 _Chapter 9 - Apology_

It was past 10 o'clock. The servant slumped down his armchair, sighing in relief that there were no more patients before the noon. Right after the breakfast, both he and Shiro excused themselves and went straight to the Clinic. Catching a small glimpse of the Emergency Unit, Kaien noticed about 5 people, either with broken limbs or badly bleeding. It seemed that Ichigo had to run his part pretty early.

In the meantime, Shiro was explaining all three patients that had an appointment. There were two cases of social anxiety and one person with eating disorder. It freaked him out, Kaien had never even thought about psychology or psychiatry, but Shiro had already planned everything – he was able to become invisible and he could use telepathy to tell Kaien what he was supposed to say, all what the young man had to do was to deliver his words appropriately. At first, the servant refused to take the part in this conspiracy, because it seemed to be highly unethical and illegal.

However, he never expected Shiro to be so persuasive. _He must have used some hidden power, I'm sure of that..._ Kaien stretched himself, relieving all the tension from his back muscles which was rewarded with a satisfying sigh. It seemed almost impossible to him, but the ghost's plan actually worked. Luckily to both, Kaien had a natural ability to get along with people, so none of patients had any doubts that he was a doctor. Experience was strange, but at the same time really fulfilling.

"Good job, Kaien-san!" Shiro laughed with his watery voice. "Ya even got me fooled! If ya want, ya may try yer luck with the psychology field – ya seem to be created for that job!"

"Ehehe... Yeah, I don't rally think so." Kaien smiled, nervously scratching his back.

"Anyway, thanks for yer help. Ya can go now. From wha' I know, there are lots of patients in the Emergency Unit." Kaien was very afraid to hear that. Since the early breakfast he had been musing over what he was supposed to say to the vampire. "Just apologize to that idiot." Shiro immediately commented on Kaien's thoughts. Even though the young servant's mind was pretty hazy, Shiro sensed the aura of embarrassment and guilt right after mentioning Ichigo's name. Unusually of him, he smiled in encouragement to Kaien. "He also did wrong, but m'sure he's on the same level of guilt as you. So don't prolong it and go." Not thinking more about his feelings, the servant thanked and exited the psychotherapy room.

Both Psychology and Emergency Units were really close to each other. Kaien reached the door of the Emergency room. There were still few patients waiting in line to be treated. Kaien gulped – solving people's problems by talking them over was one thing, but actually tending wounds, injuries and axes stuck in skulls were a whole different story. Hesitantly, he reached for the doorknob and entered a white room, full of medical equipment like ECG, USG and portable RTG device. Shelves were full of medical instruments and substances. In the middle, on the green couch, was lying a man, who had real difficulties with breathing and whose torso was full of bruises. Hovering above him was the young doctor with bright orange hair, wearing a white coat and a pair of sunglasses. Right now, Ichigo was trying to access the damages on the man's torso. Hearing the door opening, golden eyes shone as the black-haired servant entered the Emergency room.

"Good, you're here." Ichigo spoke confidently at Kaien, tilting his head towards a spare white coat and a box of rubber gloves. Kaien quickly understood what he had to do – he firstly picked up the coat, then washed his hands, and finally put on the gloves. "Bring from the corner an oxygen tank. There are oxygen masks in the cart next to me – connect them to the tank, set the flow on 2l per minute and put the gas mask on this man." The explanation was too quick for the inexperienced servant. Suddenly, he felt overwhelmed by the situation – there was a nearly-dead man on the couch and he was supposed to make some strange things. He felt a panic level rising.

"B-But I don't-!"

 _ **Don't you dare to say you don't know what to do!**_ Kaien groaned at the message from the inside of his head. _**Right now this man believes he's in good, experienced hands. He may pick up your panicking and it wouldn't help him in this condition. Just take a deep breath.**_ The servant took as much air as his lungs let him. _**Good. Now – pick up the oxygen tank, bring it here. I'll tell you what you have to do, so don't be scared.**_ Despite his fear that he might harm the suffering man, he decided to follow Ichigo's orders. His adrenaline got him going. The man on the couch finally got his wounds treated and Ichigo injected some painkillers. Soon, the doctor called for a nurse, ordering her to take the man out to the Clinic rooms. Ichigo looked outside of the door, inviting another patient. This time Kaien could be more relaxed – every other patient came either with deep cuts that needed stitching or with some broken limbs, which later were immediately put inside casts. Kaien looked at his watch. It was 11:20.

"It's almost time for me to go to the orchard." He spoke to the vampire. The other hummed in response, while filling up all the documents of the patients. Kaien sighed. Any other moment wouldn't be better. "Excuse me, Ichigo-sama..." The orange-haired man looked up. Golden eyes were shining from behind the darkened sunglasses. "I'm truly sorry for what I said... er... thought at breakfast. These vampire-monster customs and changes are still odd to me and it'll take some time for me to get used to it. But it was neither my right, nor my place to criticize you. It is your mansion and you're allowed to do as you please." While speaking, Kaien was standing straight and formally. He even decided to use more polite way of speaking – at breakfast he showed no respect and he knew he was just a mere servant. Ichigo sighed, putting his sunglasses down and looking at the man's aquamarine stare. "You have right to punish me for my unacceptable behavior, Ichigo-sama."

"Stop!" Finally, the young doctor snapped. Realizing the tone of his voice, Ichigo closed his eyes and pinched the bridge of his nose. "Just... Stop, please." Kaien waited for any other reply. "..m...sor..." He whispered something under his nose. Kaien didn't catch that, so he hadn't changed his stance. Ichigo growled in frustration. "I said 'I'm... sorry.'" This time, Kaien was confused. The rest of the speech was stuttered. Ichigo seemed to have difficulties with apologizing."It's just... I wasn't in the mood and got really angry... seeing you eat so normally and kind of drank blood next to you on purpose... Can we just please forget about that morning and... talk normally?" Golden eyes were filled with pleading. Kaien smiled warmly and nodded in agreement. The sight of servant's warm forgiveness forced a small blush on vampire's pale cheeks. "I asked you not to call me 'Ichigo-sama', didn't I? Besides, that polite talk doesn't suit you, at all..."

"Ok, I won't do that to you ever again." Kaien chuckled, glad that the air between him and his employer finally cleared out. He liked being casual in front of Ichigo, since he was the most friendly from all three triplets. "Anyway, do I need to have a medical degree or course or something?"

"No, you'll learn your way around here soon." Ichigo smirked. "You handled the pressure quite well. Be prepared – all your mornings in the Emergency room are going to look like this one." Kaien groaned in frustration. However, deep down, he was pretty thrilled with today's activities. Both Kurosakis led him with their minds and he was pretty good at listening to orders and executing them. "Okay then. Let's go to the orchard." Ichigo snapped him out from his excitement.

"You mean like 'we'?"

"Well yeah, I don't have any more patients right now. I could use some fresh air."

"Uhm... The room is covered by curtains, so no wonder you don't know how's outside." Kaien smiled in pity. Ichigo quickly took the hint.

"...It's a sunny day, right?"

"Not even a single cloud."

"...Okay, I'll just follow you to the living room, then." Kaien chuckled at Ichigo's depression.

During their walk they were eagerly talking about their pasts. Ichigo and Shiro received their doctor titles at the age of 19 and it made them one of the youngest geniuses the Medical Academy had ever seen. When Kaien asked how they managed to learn at the Academy, Ichigo revealed yet another surprising news – their old servant Zangetsu once picked the apples for them!

"Zangetsu!?" Kaien shouted in surprise. "But-! Then why isn't he doing that today!?"

"That's because he's no longer human. You see, not only our family made the horrible deal with the Devil – there are many other people who suffer the consequences of their or their family's choice. Most of them don't know where to go, so my Dad employed them as our servants, maids, cooks, etc. Zangetsu became our servant when my brothers and I were 6 years old and took care of us that time. He was very kind to us, he taught us many things and played and laughed. "

"That guy knew how to laugh? He barely shows any expressions..."

"Hard to imagine, but he did smile once." Ichigo chuckled, though immediately his expression turned nostalgic. "When we were about to graduate, we hired a new desserts expert, a snow-woman called Sode no Shirayuki. We never thought that Old Man had any feelings for her. Even though he knew the consequences, both he and Sode wanted to be together. After one night, Zangetsu totally changed – since then he has never smiled, nor became angry. There was an aura of sorrow around him. Just by standing next to a tree all apples fell down and rot in a blink of an eye."

"So he became one of you?"

"Yes. It was very hard for us – we couldn't find a good person for almost a half a year. Our mansion and Clinic had to close down from the world. Later, we decided to try our luck and posted job offers."

"So how many servants have you hired before me?"

"Hmm... During three years... About 11, I think."

"...That's a lot."

"Not really. There was once a girl, she was very strict, but at the same time reliable and helpful. She lasted about 2 months without knowing our true selves. One time, my dad thought 'Okay, let's reveal the secret!' and, umm, she didn't take that well... After that, nobody answered our ad for almost 3 months and sometimes we had to ask our patients to pick the apples."

"What about your last servant?"

"He never knew our monster selves. He actually quit, because it was too much work for him. He lasted only 3 days. Fortunately, you answered our ad 8 hours later."

"Hahaha, probably destiny!" Both of them laughed.

The noon passed and so Kaien witnessed the full transformation of the family. Just as everyone took a small bite, a white glow covered their bodies, blurring them and finally changing the monster appearance. Mr Isshin could finally wave and talk without any fear of shattering his body; veins and flowers disappeared from Masaki; all levitating stuff around girls' heads dropped on the ground; Shiro's image finally returned to it's solid and colorful state; the plushie doll stopped moving while Kon (inside of his original body) groaned in pain; and, at last, Ichigo's pale skin changed into beautiful tan, there were no longer fangs in his smile, and golden orbs darkened into strong ocher-brown eyes. Soon as the transformation ended, everybody scattered around the mansion, ready to face the world.


End file.
